Ivermectin has benefitted world health

Dear Editor:

As a response to Gregory R. Cote letter in the Commentator on May 16/23 where he was appalled by Danielle Smith promoting horse de-wormer to help counter COVID. I am assuming that he is talking about the drug Ivermectin because that is what everyone calls it. I would suggest Mr. Cote, that before you say she is out of her depth, and to obtain the facts that maybe you should heed your own advice. If you were to do some research on Ivermectin you would learn that it was approved for human use in 1986. Yes, Ivermectin was originally introduced as a veterinary drug, as it kills a wide range of internal and external parasites.

But Ivermectin proved to be even more of a wonder drug in human health, improving the nutrition, general health and well-being of billions of people worldwide ever since it was used to treat Onchocerciasis (river blindness) in humans in 1988. Ivermectin is the essential mainstay of two global diseases: Onchocerciasis and Lymphatic filariasis.  Ivermectin is now the sole control tool used to tackle these two devastating diseases.  There are other drugs that we have today, that are used in both animals and humans, so horse de-wormer is not just for horses.

Deborah Lowe, Irvine